Over the last two years I have spent a lot of energy finding places to sit, study, and generally wile away the hours before daycare pickup. One of the best places I've found is the Villa Caffe on Hwy 150 in Mahomet. (Can anyone explain to me why it is spelled with two fs?)
What you'll find is a full service coffee shop and bakery with free wi-fi, a variety of tables and overstuffed chairs, a train table and chalkboard. Staff arrives daily at 3:00 AM to start baking breads and pastries. For breakfast you can order on an extensive menu or off menu. They really will make anything you want for breakfast. The lunch menu is small, but good. I've had the egg salad several times and it is a big sandwich with a sweet aftertaste.
Villa Caffe is a family business and the owner is EXCITED about her product and really wants every customer to have a good experience there. One morning going through the drive thru for a large dark roast she decided I needed a pastry too and gave me a tasty almond scone to try.
A couple things about Villa Caffe could be improved. The stuffed croissants are weird and they just don't taste very good. I've tried them twice and both times threw it away. The wi-fi connection is spotty in the bar seating. A lunch of a coffee and a sandwich costs $10, which for me is pretty pricey.
But, I see groups of moms and preschoolers in there regularly getting good service and enjoying themselves. I see business people having meetings and doing deals. It opens early as a good coffee shop should. The bathrooms are clean and very nice. The drip coffee is very good. All in all Villa Caffe is a well executed coffee shop with a good location. I hope they do well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Hi there!
Villa Caffe is spelled with 2 "F's" because that is how Coffee is spelled in Italian! Also, the reason that the croissants taste funky is because they come in as a frozen product(as do 95% of all other"fresh baked goods there"..... are then thawed in the cooler....... proofed and then baked. They are mass produced in a factory before they are shipped to the store Via Fox Foods. She has also been known to use out dated product.....product that has been "over proofed or under proofed." That is why they taste as they do.
Small town politics is amazing. Too many people in Mahomet have hidden agendas.
This is a beautiful family owned business with owners and staff that only care about quality and making people happy. Damaging a small business' reputation and making outrageous claims just proves how evil some people can be, especially when it is poised against a small family that works insane hours, brings in the best ingredients, and then they do it over again and again the next day.
I'm sure they stumble at times, but they keep trying and I'm sure the owner would appreciate feedback either way.
Stop by the place at three or four in the morning and see for yourself how things are made at Villa Caffe. The owner may not always look prim and proper, but she has devoted her life to the Villa and puts out some pretty darn good stuff.
I know a few people who get there before the doors open and before the sun is even up for coffee and biscuits and gravy by knocking on the back door.
Villa Cafe has closed.
Post a Comment